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People listen to speakers during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's sanctuary designation hearing Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

City of Sheboygan Director of Planning & Development Sustainability Coordinator Chad Pelishek touts the benefits of getting the marine sanctuary designation during a meeting Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

People listen to speakers during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's sanctuary designation hearing Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

People listen to speakers during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's sanctuary designation hearing Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Leslie Kohler speaks in favor of the NOAA sanctuary designation during a meeting Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Dave Hamilton spoke at the meeting to discuss the marine sanctuary designation proposal Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

People talk to NOAA officials following the marine sanctuary designation meeting Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

A map showing the protection area of the marine sanctuary Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

People listen to speakers during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's sanctuary designation hearing Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks.
Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

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The Rouse Simmons, also known as the Christmas Tree Ship, sank on Nov. 23, 1912, in Lake Michigan off the coast of Two Rivers, and is one of the 39 known ships in the proposed Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary.(Photo: Courtesy of Tamara Thomsen/Wisconsin Historical Society)

SHEBOYGAN - The majority of those who spoke during a listening session on a proposed National Marine Sanctuary on Wednesday were supportive of the idea, but several questioned the need for the federal government to get involved.

“How is it right to put in the hands more than 1,000 square miles of Lake Michigan to the federal government?” Oriannah Paul, a landowner along the lake, said.

Officials noted that the sanctuary would be co-managed by State of Wisconsin and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The designation would be focused cultural resources, such as shipwrecks, and not natural resources, according to NOAA representative Russ Green, so the state would not lose its rights to the natural resources of the lake.

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People talk to NOAA officials following the marine sanctuary designation meeting Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks. (Photo: Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

“It’s only focused on cultural resources, so there are no regulations that would reduce access to the lake on the sanctuary side,” Green said. "It's state bottom-lands and wouldn't become federal waters, so all of the state protections that are there now with the Department of Natural Resources, and others that manage the lake bottom, stay in place."

Responding to concerns from commercial shippers, Green also noted that the boundary would not include ports to ensure dredging and shipping activities can continue unimpeded.

At the meeting Wednesday, several lakeshore landowners spoke in opposition and questioned if the boundary of the proposed Lake Michigan sanctuary would impact their properties.

But overall, the feeling in the room Wednesday was that of support.

"Setting the stage for educational and scientific benefits for children and kids of the future, and the general populace, is important to not only me, but to the future," Slater Gutierrez, a Sheboygan seventh grader, said.

The NOAA last fall announced nomination of more than 1,000 square miles area of Lake Michigan — off Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Manitowoc Counties — as a marine sanctuary. The agency website said the designation would, “conserve nationally significant shipwrecks and related maritime heritage resources in Wisconsin.”

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A map showing the protection area of the marine sanctuary Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks. (Photo: Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

At least 37 known shipwrecks are located in the waters off the three counties, 18 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An additional 80 sites are believed to exist.

“There is a real diversity of ships and ship types. The levels of preservation are really astonishing. This reaches back to the 1830s, all the way to the turn of the century and tells a very Wisconsin story and a very American story,” Green said.

The sanctuary would protect the wreck sites — prohibiting anchoring to the wrecks while allowing divers to explore them. Anchoring in the general sanctuary would not be prohibited, just on specific wreck sites, Green noted.

“We want to create a sense of value when you’re coming to dive some of the best shipwrecks in the world, and that’s not an overstatement,” he said. “We’re here to protect them and want to encourage people to dive responsibly.”

The sanctuary would also draw researchers and maritime archaeologists to the area.

“The big thing the sanctuary does is, it’s kind of an umbrella, and it focuses attention on this one area of Lake Michigan,” Green said. “It makes it easier to get partnerships to the table to bring their resources and expertise to elevate the research and resource protection here.”

Sheboygan's city planner Chad Pelishek said the sanctuary is a great opportunity for the community. He noted that a couple dive shops have already expressed interest in opening in Sheboygan due to the potential sanctuary designation.

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City of Sheboygan Director of Planning & Development Sustainability Coordinator Chad Pelishek touts the benefits of getting the marine sanctuary designation during a meeting Wednesday March 15, 2017 at UW-Sheboygan. The meeting is one of several that are taking place this week as part of the lead-up to potentially putting up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan under federal protections aimed largely at preserving historic shipwrecks. (Photo: Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

"These are international divers hearing about the sanctuary proposal and wanting to be a part of it," he said. "We see this as an economic development activity as well as a great tourism activity."

The Sheboygan session was the third of four listening sessions, with others held in Manitowoc, Algoma and Port Washington.

Written comments can be submitted to NOAA until the end of March. Instructions can be found at the NOAA webpage: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin. For more information, contact Russ Green at russ.green@noaa.gov or 920-459-4425.

Once the public comment period draws to a close, final proposal documents will be drafted by the end of the summer for submission to NOAA for consideration.